File 756/1917 Pt 2-3 ‘ARAB BULLETIN Nos 66-114’ [‎179r] (366/834)

— 185 —
j7^
SITUATION OF THE SHERIFIAN REVOLT.
Four months have passed since the last summary of the
general situation was issued in Arab Bulletin, No. 80. Then
Emir Feisal had thrown his left wing across Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. el-Hasa, and,
from his headquarters at Ain el-Beida, was operating with his
right against the section of railway between Maau and Mudowara.
His later movements have all tended to concentrate the
northern and central portions of his forces, which are now holding
the Semna position, 5,000 yards to the south of the town of
Maan, dominating it with the station ; while from his head
quarters at Abu Lissal he keeps the Turkish garrison in Maan
loosely invested. Raiding operations have been entrusted to
Sherif Nasir, who with his flying column, is harassing the enemy’s
line of communications between Maan and Amman. The stations
north of Maan have had a chequered history during the last few
weeks, Jerdun, for example, having changed hands no less than
four times ; while so persistent are tlie Arab raids on the line,
that up till now the enemy has been unable to repair the breach
between Maan and Jerdun.
The tribal situation in the north however is, at the moment,
less promising that it was. After much shilly-shallying, Nun
Shaalan has made it quite clear that he does not mean to help
anyone but himself, and he and his son are actively promoting
enemy trade through Jauf el- A Mr. The Rowalla policy is prac
tically also that of all the great Anazeh aggregate in the Syrian
Desert. From the Amarat in the south-east to the feclaan m
the north all stand outside the revolt and carry on as of old.
While there is evidence that the Druses of the Hauran are more
definitely anti-Turk than they were and ready to come out a^
soon as they are supported by an adequate Arab force the bem
Sakhr, the Belqaa tribes and all tribal Arabs lying north of these
have, not unnaturally, been discouraged both by our two with
drawals from es-Salt and by Feisal’s failure to hold Kerak, wheie
t he pro-Turk Majalli chiefs are now supreme While some ot
the nomadic Beni Sakhr keep the field with the Huwe.tat, most
( ,f the tribesmen who own lands, have been compelled to patch
u > a pelce wTth the Turks and hold their hand till better tunes.
Of the Belqaa tribes, almost all are still loyal to the Sheiifian
cause and us* but Sultan ibn All el-Dhiab is definitely pro-1.urk
and try in a hard to regain his paramount influence and take his
old confederation with him. A northward move, either by Feisa
or bv us will very quickly put a new complexion on this tubal
situation ; but till such amove can be P«~t « ^““ less to
exited, anv active Bedouin co-operation north vutiam.
‘ P The attack on Maan itself, made on April 10, was not an
fiTlhe^bXoV the' IX m'ttte” comparatpy 8 heavy